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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. land — ground
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ground — crushed
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. land — to come down
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ground — a position
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pitch — completely
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. land — a country
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com